Toy construction outfit



July 24, 1928. 1,678,602

G. G. OLDFIELD TOY CONSTRUCTION OUTFIT Filed Aug. 5, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet l I WITNEssEs N INVENTOR y? I Occur/54,0,

ATTORNEYS July 24, 1928.

G. G. OLDFIELD ToY CONSTRUCTION oUTFiT Filed Aug. 5, 1925 '3 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR 6:6. OLO/ELD,

WITNESSES BY y@ ATTORNEYS July 24, 1928. 1,678,602 G. G. oLDFlELD TOY CONSTRUCTION OUTFIT Filed Aug. 5; 1925 3 Sheets-sheet s WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented July 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES GUY G'. OLDFIELD, 0F PULLMAN, WASHINGTON.

TOY CONSTRUCTION OUTF-IT.

Application led August 5, 1925. Serial No. 48,288.

My invention relatesto improvements in toy construction outfits, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangement-s herein described and claimed.

An object of the invention is the provision\ of a toy construction outfit which comprises structural elements adapted to be quickly and easily assembled to produce any one of a plurality of toy structures and objects, and y as quickly and easily disassembled to permit reuse of the structural elements of the outfit.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a toy construction outfit of the character described which affords facilities for the construction of toy structures of structural elements which will cooperate with one another to maintain the form of the structure which has been provided under considerable stress, the respective structural elements co-engaging so that such structural elements are not likely to be separated accidentally although they can be detached from one another' quickly and easily as a result of manual action.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a toy construction outfit of the character described, which can be produced quickly and in large quantities at a relatively low cost and which is thoroughly practical commercially.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a toy aeroplane which can be formed of structural elements of a toy construction outfit embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section through a. block and associated plates which the invention provides,

Figure 3 is a plan view of one of the plates with a corner portion thereof partially broken away,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section through the toy aeroplane,

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section through the aeroplane,

Figure G 'is a vertical section through a block which the invention provides, alsov showing in elevation an end portion of a rod7 and showing the cooperative means of the block and rod whei'eby they can be detachably connected, l

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of an end portion of a rod such as shown in Figure 6,

Figures 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 respectively are perspective views of plates of different sizes which the invention provides,

Figure 13 is a perspective view of one of the blocks that the invention provides,

Figure 14 is a perspective view of rods of dierent lengths, and

Figure 15 is a perspective view of a disk or wheel that the invention provides. A toy construction outfit embodying the invention comprises structural elements which preferably are made of wood, although they may be made of any other suitable material, as will be understood from the following description. Each of these structural elements may be termed a rod, a plate, a block, or a disk or wheel. In the drawings, each plate, irrespective of its size, is designated 1, each block is indicated at 2, the numeral 3 designates each rod, and each disk or wheel is designated 4.

Any desirable number of plates 1. may be provided, and these plates may comprise groups of sizes. Each plate 1 is made of wood as previously indicated, or of any other suitable material which possesses considerable inherent resiliency. Each plate 1 is formed with a slot 5 in each marginal edge thereof extendingfor the full length of such marginal edge midway between the planes of the faces of the plate, whereby the marginal edge portions of each plate will be divided longitudinally, and a pair of spaced spring marginal engaging portions G will be produced at each edge of each plate 1. Each plate 1 also is formed with one or more transverse openings 7, the number and relative location of the respective openings 7 when more than one opening is provided in a plate, varying according to the size of the plate.

Each block 2 has rectangular faces and is formed with a pair of parallel channels 8 in median portions of two opposite faces thereof. and with two parallel channels 9 in two other opposite faces of the block while the remaining two opposite faces of the block preferably are free of channels or grooves. Each channel 8 or 9 has straight parallel side walls and the respective channels 8 and 9 extend the full lengths of the faces in which they are formed, but at right angles to each other as best seen in Figure 13. Each block 2 is formed with a central bore 10 extending through the block between the bottoms of the opposite channels 8, a central bore 11 which extends through the blocks between the bottoms of the channels 9 and a third central bore 12 which extends through the block between the remaining two faces of the block, the respective hores 10, 11 and 12 intersecting one another at the center of the block.

Each bore 10, 11 or 12 preferably has an area in cross section equal to the like area of each of the openings 7 and the width of each of the channels 8 or 9 is slightly greater than the diameter of each of the bores 10,-11 and 12 or of each opening 7.

Each disk or wheel 4 has an axial opening 13 which preferably has a cross sectional area equal to that of any one of the openings 7 or bores 10, 11 and 12. The respective rods 3 may vary in length as shown in Eigure 14, but each rod is split longitudinally for a short distance from each end thereof, thus producing a pair of spring engaging portions 14 at each end of each rod 3. The cross sectional area of each end portion of each rod 3 is about the same as, or slightly greater than that of, each of the openings 7 or 13, or bores 10, 11 and 12. The thic mess of each marginal edge portion of a plate 1 is about the same as, or slightly greater than that of the thickness of each of the channels 8 or 9.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The

plates, blocks, rods and wheels or disks' which have been described in the foregoing may be assembledto produce any one of a great many toy structures. These respective structural elements may be relativelyarranged in various positions according to particular requirements. To illustrate one use of the toy construction outfit, I show in Figure 1 an aeroplane which can be constructed of the plates, blocks, rods and disks which have been described in the foregoing. Each block is used primarily as a connector between other structural elements of the outfit. For example, it will be noted by referring to Figure 6, that the spring end engaging portions 14 of one of the rods 3 will be forced together slightly when such spring end engaging portions of the rod are forced into one of the bores of the block. The block and the rod thus will be secured together firmly, although detachably.

As shown to advantage in Figure 2, each block 2 also is adapted to connect adjacent edge portions of two of the plates 1. The engaging edge portions 6 of the plates 1 are sprung toward each other when forced into channels of the block, and thus are held securely, although releasably, in place, and

the plates 1 are held substantially rigid with each other` and with the block by means of which they are connected.

It also will be understood that the spring end engaging portions 14 of a rod 3 of a suitable length will fit tightly in openings 13 of wheels or disks 14 so that two of such wheels may be connected by one of the rods to form an axle and wheel assembly.

Each rod also is adapted for connection with each of the plates 1 by reason of the provision of the spring attaching end portions 14 at each end of the rod and the openingor openings 7 in the plate.

he number of structures which can be formed of the elements which have been described in the foregoing is relatively lar e, and it is obvious that the elements which have been used to form one structure can be quickly detached from one another when desired to permit re-use of such elements, although the assembled elements will resist a considerable stress and thus will cooperate with one another to maintain the shape and form of a structure which has been formed thereof.

Obviously,`the invention is susceptible of embodiments in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptations thereof as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1. In a toy building outfit, a set of connector units having grooves in a plurality of its faces and further provided with transverse openings, a set of plate units having their edges grooved between their opposed faces to form an expansible marginal tongue along each edge of each plate'unit, any selected tongue of which being insertablein any selected groove of any selected connector unit and held therein by the frictional contact of the tongue with the walls of the groove, the plate units being further provided with a plurality of openings, and a set of longitudinal units having bifurcated ends insertable into selected openings of the plate or connector units whereby various toy structures may be assembled. v

2. In a toy construction outfit, plates made of somewhat lresilient material having marginal slots in their edges extending longitudinally thereof for the full length of the plates, forming thereby a channel with compressible or expandible walls adapted to act either as tongues or grooves to like edges on like plates, said plates being provided with transverse openings adapted -to receive elongated structural members for said construction outfit.

GUY G. OLDFIELD. 

